• Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

    Bass Buster Guide Service
    (270) 362-9987 http://www.kentuckylakeguide.com dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
  • "Specializing in Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Lake Familiarization, Tournament Preparation, and Technique Instruction"

  • Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

    Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 363.32 Surface Temperature - 66
    Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 363.20 Surface Temperature - 66

    Both lakes are slightly over feet above summer pool. Kentucky Dam has been spilling at a varying rate today of between 102,000 - 109,000 cfs. Barkley Dam has been spilling at a varying rate today of between 100,000 - 109,000 cfs. The latest lake levels , current flows and forecasts for all the TVA lakes can be found at http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/index.htm .

    Although both lakes have continued spilling water this week, lake levels have not varied much from last week with actually a slight rise of a few inches. This is due to the heavy rains received here and up the rivers last weekend. Kentucky Lake is stained in the channel with some creeks and bays lightly stained and some clearing. Lake Barkley is heavily stained in the channel with creeks and bays ranging from heavy stain to light stain. Both lakes have debris floating in them, Barkley has more than Kentucky but there is some in Kentucky so be careful when you are running.

    As I mentioned in last week's report, we have a myriad of patterns working on the Largemouth. We have post spawn Largemouth on the early ledges around the mouths of the bays and on the creek ledges and humps on the west side of Kentucky Lake. We still have Largemouth on late prespawn and spawning patterns also. Both the ledges and the late prespawn/spawn fish are producing some good catches. It is taking 25 to 28 lbs to win most of the larger tournaments here right now. I also mentioned last week that my clients and I have still been concentrating on late prespawn Largemouth and taking them in the flooded over bushes of the original shoreline. We continued this pattern this week with good success. We have been throwing spinnerbaits and swim baits early on most mornings on actively chasing Largemouth and then continuing the bite through out the day by dragging Texas rigged lizards and small jigs through the flooded over brush. The females we are catching are still laden with eggs and have very few marks on their tales from fanning the nests. I expect this pattern will hold up good for at least another week. The ledge fish are being taken primarily on fast cranked deep diving crankbaits with some taken on spoons and jigs.

    The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 74 and low of 56 with a 60% chance of scattered thunderstorms and a SSW wind at 11 mph. Another cool front is forecasted to move though the area late tomorrow or early Saturday. The high on Saturday will be 73 and low of 47 with a 20% chance of rain with NW wind at 10. Sunday will be post frontal with a high of 65 and low of 45 with wind NW at 8. A warming trend is in the forecast early next week with a return to high's in the 80's by mid week.


    Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken in the flooded over buck brush and vegetation on Texas rigged lizards, finesse jigs, spinnerbaits, swim baits and whacky rigs. Post spawn Largemouth are being taken on lead out banks and points with as well as on ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays and on main lake creek channel ledges and humps. These fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, spoons and jigs. Largemouth are also being taken by flipping jigs, Texas rigged lizards and creature baits and tubes around visible flooded trees and brush.

    Smallmouth: Smallmouth are being taken on gravel points and bank on the main lake and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged creature baits, tube jigs and jigs. Some few nice fish are being reported but not large numbers.

    Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Strike King XD 6 crankbaits in blue back chartreuse belly, Strike King sexy spoons in shad patterns, Charmer lizards in green pumpkin and watermelon/red, Slong's and Strike King spinnerbaits in white and white/chartreuse, Zoom trick worms on whacky rigs in green pumpkin, watermelon/red and green pumpkin/blue, Big Hammer swim baits in sexy smelt and bay smelt, D&L advantage jigs in Cumberland Craw, Slong's football head jigs in Cumberland Craw and Charmer tubes in green pumpkin and roadkill.

    Crappie: The Crappie bite was reported as scattered this week. I had reports of Crappie being taken around the flooded buck brush and around the bases of willow trees on minnows under bobbers. I had some reports of Crappie being taken over brush piles in 6-10 ft of water by spider rigging with small minnows.

    Bluegill/RedEars: The Bluegill bite has been reported as good this week with big gills being taken on crickets under bobbers around flooded brush in 5-6 ft of water and around willow trees. The Red Ear bite has been reported as scattered this week with some catches around gravel bars with brush in 5-6 ft of water using split shot rigs baited with small creature jigs tipped with worms.

    Catfish: Channel Catfish are roaming the shallows in the backs of the creeks and bays, especially near rocky bottom areas as well as on shallow rocky bottom areas on the main lake. These fish are being taken on night crawlers fished on bottom and under bobbers. Good catches are being reported.

    If you are coming to the big lakes here to enjoy our great spring fishing, make sure you stop by these businesses for all your fishing and boating needs:

    The Cabin Bait and Tackle is located in Kuttawa on U.S. 62 about one mile west of the I-24/U.S. 62 interchange. The Cabin Bait and Tackle has a great selection of the latest in rods, reels, lures for you bass anglers and also a great selection of tackle for the panfish anglers to include live bait. You can also find a selection of bows and guns for the hunter as well as personal handguns in the store. The Cabin also hosts the a website where you can order all your fishing needs with free shipping on all orders over 50.00. Be sure to check them out at www.tackleexperts.com . The Cabin has a great delicatessen where you can get that early morning breakfast sandwich or enjoy a delicious lunch. Phone: 270-388-6440

    Fisherman's Headquarters is located in Draffenville at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 triangle. Fisherman's Headquarters boasts a great selection of the latest in rods, reels and lures for bass anglers that are on the market, not to mention one of the best selection of high end lures and local custom lures we use here on Ky/Barkley lakes. You can find many of the custom lures you see in my fishing reports there including the Bag5 custom painted crank baits and jerk baits. Fisherman's Headquarters also has a really good selection of Crappie fishing tackle featuring Wally Marshall "Mr Crappie" rods, reels, lures and line as well as live baits. Phone: 270-527-5938.

    Jet-A-Marina: If you have a problem with your boat while you are visiting our great fisheries, let me recommend you have the folks in the service department at Jet-a-Marina check it out. These folks have a well known reputation for trying to keep our visitors on the water while they are here if they can possibly do so, especially you tournament anglers. Hopefully you will not need this kind of assistance but if you do, you can find Jet-a-Marina located on U.S. 62 in Calvert City, just a couple of miles north of Kentucky Dam. Jet-a-Marina also has a great showroom for all your boating accessories and check out the new Ranger, Stratos and Triton bass boats too as well as bulk oil at rock bottom prices for your engine. Phone: 270-395-4030 .

    LEDGE FISHING:

    Now is the time to make your reservations to learn how to fish the ledges. I offer a focused teaching trip on how to fish the ledges. This trip consists of a class on how to eliminate the water on your topo map before you leave home so that you can concentrate your time on only the highest percentage ledges while on the water as well as some time on the water to learn how to use your electronics on the ledges, set up on the ledges and learn the techniques used to fish the ledges. This teaching trip has been very popular over the past few years since I started offering it as it will teach you how to go find and fish the best ledges on your own. To book one of these trips, all you have to do is give me a call or drop me an email to book one of my open dates.

    GUIDE SERVICE: For those of you that may not be familiar with my service: I am a full time catch and release bass fishing guide. I only guide for bass. I have been guiding for bass full time on these lakes for 16 years and bass fishing the lakes for over 30 years. I do not go out and fish panfish for 4 or 5 days and then try to guide on bass for one or two days. No one knows everything the bass are doing but one thing is for sure, if you only fish for bass day in and day out, you will have a lot better idea of what they are doing and also be familiar with all the different techniques it takes to be a successful bass angler. If you book with my service, you will have me as your guide and you will be guided in the comfort of a late model Z522 Ranger Comanche equipped with 2 Lowrance HDS 10's and top of the line tackle. I provide just for fun bass fishing trips, tournament preparation trips, focused teaching trips and technique instruction. If you are in need of a bass fishing guide, give me a call or drop me an email.

    I still have the following dates available for booking in May, June and July:

    May: Sorry, I am booked up.
    June: Sorry, I am booked up.
    July: I still have some dates available...call or email now to book that summer trip on the ledges
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